What was the first Pokémon you ever saw?

[riq]

I remember ir pretty clearly actually. It first aired in a random network I didn't usually watch before airing on Cartoon Network so I didn't get to watch it regularly initially. It didn't help that that specific broadcast would usually play the episodes in random order.

The first Pokemon I saw was Seel, beginning of episode 7 if I'm not mistaken. Changed my life for ever, which sounds completely silly.

Second episode I watched was Bulbasaur's secret garden, much further into the first season. I used to remember the third one, because after that it started airing on CN in September 1999.

Other interesting quirks of cartoons in Brazil is that, instead of airing new episodes weekly, we actually had a new one everyday from Monday to Friday, so once my younger brother was born at the end of October CN was already at the Snorlax episode, I remember watching it while waiting to meet him at the hospital for the first time.

 

[Deleted member 1086]

Pikachu. Was in like 5th or 6th grade and some kids were arguing on the bus over a drawing of Pikachu whether it was a boy or a girl. One kid handed me the picture and asked me what I thought, I was like "what the heck is this thing?".

Then I got Pokemon Blue and my whole world perspective changed...

 

[808s & Villainy]

I think Pokémon just had that much of an impact on people, especially kids at the time. It really was like nothing else, it all just burned itself into my memory. I even remember having an argument on the way home from school one day about how Pokémon was totally not a fad (I guess I won that one in the long run).

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I'm 29 so Pokemon came out when I was a kid, it's just I never remember any of these "First x you saw/had/experienced" threads. I have no idea how people remember singular moments decades ago

 

[Kanhir]

I voted Pikachu but now I'm thinking maybe it was Gengar, because isn't the first Pokémon in the show a Gengar?

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Nidorino and Gengar, yeah.

The anime came out 9 months before the games for us, so the Game Boy-style opening didn't really make sense until the games came out.

 

[banter]

I was in middle school and a kid in my english class had this bad boy (not sure if it was the Prima one like this or not but it had charizard on the cover) and his gameboy and I was like, "What is a pokemon?"

He said you catch monsters then fight them against other monsters, and I was like... that sounds kind of cool. I ended up getting Pokemon Red a short time later.

I'm 29 so Pokemon came out when I was a kid, it's just I never remember any of these "First x you saw/had/experienced" threads. I have no idea how people remember singular moments decades ago

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I'm about to turn 33 and I remember it like it was yesterday *shrug*.

 

[cyba89]

I voted Pikachu but now I'm thinking maybe it was Gengar, because isn't the first Pokémon in the show a Gengar?

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The first Pokémon in the intro of the anime is Mewtwo.

 

[teague]

Nidorino and Gengar, yeah.

The anime came out 9 months before the games for us, so the Game Boy-style opening didn't really make sense until the games came out.

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I was like, 5 and just was like "oh snap this fight is so cool"

Thanks I was second-guessing for a second there, lol

 

[Phellps]

I really have no idea, I was too young. Probably Pikachu, though, because I first found out about Pokémon as an anime, and they advertised it like crazy over here.

 

[Tom Nook]

Pretty sure it was Blastoise, at least, that was the first time I saw a Pokemon and recognized it as such.

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This.

I played the game before the Anime.

 

[teague]

The first Pokémon in the intro of the anime is Mewtwo.

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I just found it on YouTube and it's definitely the fight from the game opening.

 

[LiK]

My cousin from HK bought a Pikachu plush keychain for me before Pokemon even came to the States. I didn't even know what it was.

 

[Dr. Coz]

I don't recall a specific pokemon, just a bunch of them that got sucked into a vacuum in a commercial

 

[Andrew J]

Nintendo Power had this short section devoted to RPGs, it was called "The Epic Corner" or something like that. Sometimes it would cover games that hadn't come out in America yet.

In 1996, around the time of Red and Green's Japanese launch, there was a single page devoted to Pokemon. This was before Pikachu had been established as the main mascot. The only image I remember clearly is the Sugimori art of Mewtwo, so I'm going to go ahead and say that was the first Pokemon I ever saw.

 

[Robin]

This was a promotional video sent to my house before Pokemon was ever a thing. This came via Nintendo Power, I believe, and was supposed to serve as introduction to the anime and games that were not yet released. I wish I still had it, because apparently this thing is RARE.

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Yup, I remember that promo video as the first thing I had ever seen, we got that promo video and we got one for Banjo Kazooie and a couple bundle N64 ones too!

 

[superNESjoe]

This was a promotional video sent to my house before Pokemon was ever a thing. This came via Nintendo Power, I believe, and was supposed to serve as introduction to the anime and games that were not yet released. I wish I still had it, because apparently this thing is RARE.

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This was also my introduction to it. This VHS tape and the issue of Nintendo Power that introduced Pokemon.

 

[swimming]

Charizard and Blastoise

 

[N64Controller]

It was my cousin's favorite and she showed it to me on her Gameboy.

 

[Agni Kai]

It was Pikachu. I'm quite sure of it, because I first watched the series and then played the games.

I remember the Pokemon series was heavily advertised in here before it was broadcast. What a time.

 

[Moltres006]

Onyx and Pikachu.
It was that episode where ash battled brock for a gym badge.

 

[Gengahrrr]

Blastoise and Charizard, back when Nintendo Power did a feature on the original Red and Green versions having just released in Japan.

 

[Grapezard]

A friend gave me a Swellow card in the playground (I got into gaming a bit late). It's still my favorite.

 

[Elderly Parrot]

I just found it on YouTube and it's definitely the fight from the game opening.

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On some networks in the US Battle for St Anne was the first episode we got to dive deeper. My channel fucked up and just played the first episode and then the second episode twice. I was like whyyyy

 

[Kneefoil]

I was introduced to Pokémon with the first episode of the anime, so I guess the first Pokémon I saw must've been Mewtwo in the opening.

 

[Trickster]

How the hell is anyone supposed to remember that lol? It's been like 20 years

 

[Dysun]

Charizard or Blastoise on the box art of Red/Blue.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

Blastoise and Charizard on the boxes for the games.

 

[JustTom]

Blastoise on the box that Blue Version came in, also on the cartridge.

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This. My cousin told me about Pokemon, so I just got the game not even knowing something like a series exists. Got the blue version which is why Blastoise is the first Pokemon I ever saw.

 

[Garlador]

Pretty sure it was Blastoise, at least, that was the first time I saw a Pokemon and recognized it as such.

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Yep. That was my first experience, and also why Blastoise remains my favorite Pokemon and has a spot in all my rosters.

 

[C.Mongler]

This was a promotional video sent to my house before Pokemon was ever a thing. This came via Nintendo Power, I believe, and was supposed to serve as introduction to the anime and games that were not yet released. I wish I still had it, because apparently this thing is RARE.

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Yup, this was my and my friend's first intro to Pokemon right here. We all loved Nintendo, and when our 7-year-old selves received this in the mail, we gathered around the TV and watched this mysterious VHS tape. Once they showed off the game, we were sold. We all begged our moms to go to Toys R Us on launch day to get the game when it came out, and from there it became an obsession.

I didn't know this tape was considered rare though. I might have it somewhere at my parents house.

 

[Cr1st0]

I remember going into Sears gaming Area which had a Nintendo Sign hanging and mom wanted to gift me a game. I was browsing in the counter and saw a game with similar fight screens, I think it was dragon quest for gameboy. And besides it was Pokemon Red followed by Blue. Grabbed Pkmn and Dragon and went for pkmn

 

[Darryl M R]

Pikachu during the first commercial of Pokemon being aired in the states if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Iori Fuyusaka]

I didn't know this tape was considered rare though. I might have it somewhere at my parents house.

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Rarity may have been overstated. It's only worth about 10 bucks on eBay. Sealed may be a different story.

 

[C.Mongler]

Rarity may have been overstated. It's only worth about 10 bucks on eBay. Sealed may be a different story.

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Yeah I went and took a peak at eBay after I posted and you are correct, I was just too lazy for the edit lol. Mines definitely beat to hell if I still have it, but it's a neat little piece of history nonetheless.

 

[Nayishiki]

Blastoise and Charizard.

 

[Deleted member 33319]

Charmander in that episode where the explore Lavender Town's tower and meet Haunter.

 

[Zeckett]

Pretty sure it was Caterpee, watching my friend play Pokémon Yellow the first time. I saw Pikachu too, but was its back.

 

[Rickenslacker]

Pikachu and Porygon I think. Pretty sure my first exposure to Pokemon was seeing something on the news about the seizures in Japan, along with a brief clip without the flashing.

 

[Xavi]

Pikachu and hitmonlee during this comercial

 

[panama chief]

Pretty sure it was Blastoise, at least, that was the first time I saw a Pokemon and recognized it as such.

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100% same for me and I've been a water starter ever since.

 

[SonicRift]

I want to say either Nidoking or Rhydon, via a screenshot of the field screen in a magazine at least 2 years before the game came out. I was aware enough of Pokemon when I got the Gameboy Camera that I knew they were from an RPG. And I was desperate for a Gameboy RPG at the time too!

 

[CopyOfACopy]

Charizard or Blastoise on the box art of Red/Blue.

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Blastoise and Charizard on the boxes for the games.

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Blastoise and Charizard.

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[GangWarily]

Do you mean Pogs?

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Don't think so since this was in Japan and I never knew about Pogs being a thing lol

 

[mindsale]

A pal had Pokémon Blue, this was before the show was localized. First Pokémon I saw was Blastoise on the cart.

 

[Pokémon]

This was a promotional video sent to my house before Pokemon was ever a thing. This came via Nintendo Power, I believe, and was supposed to serve as introduction to the anime and games that were not yet released. I wish I still had it, because apparently this thing is RARE.

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That Pidgey beta name :o

 

[cakely]

It was Pikachu. A noodle shop in Ann Arbor was selling a collection of random japanese toys (in ... eggs, I think) and we bought a Pikachu simply because it looked really cute.

I didn't know what it actually was until much later.

 

[teague]

On some networks in the US Battle for St Anne was the first episode we got to dive deeper. My channel fucked up and just played the first episode and then the second episode twice. I was like whyyyy

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This is a great fun fact, awesome

Also, at least it wasn't the seizure episode lol

 

[Kivvi]

It was one of the early anime episodes, I remember being angry and wanting to watch a cartoon and found Pokemon on a channel. It was Pikachu 100% and that worm (I only know the german names) pokemon right after.

 

[Deleted member 2340]

I was in middle school and a kid in my english class had this bad boy (not sure if it was the Prima one like this or not but it had charizard on the cover) and his gameboy and I was like, "What is a pokemon?"

He said you catch monsters then fight them against other monsters, and I was like... that sounds kind of cool. I ended up getting Pokemon Red a short time later.


I'm about to turn 33 and I remember it like it was yesterday *shrug*.

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It was either the Prima cover or the Pokémon Red cartridge or me channel surfing one day and I tuned in right the theme song was playing and Charizard first appeared in the song.

Either way, it was Charizard for me.

 

[Armite]

The first time I remember seeing anything Pokemon-related, it was this:

I bought it because the creature looked quite different to other characters you typically see in Western cartoons and video game merchandise in general was quite rare. And power balls are always good fun, so why not?

I had no expectation that I'd be knee deep in Pokemania by the end of the year.

 

[Rotimi]

Pikachu first for me, then probably a one of the starters, cant remember but I know Pikachu is the first

1999
My cousin from the usa brought an episode of Pokémon along when he came to stay in a video tape then. Never got how he recorded it. Also had dragon ball Z on it, was my first introduction to Pokémon and anime in general